Lock-nut for vehicle-spindles.



W. H. LUQUIRE. LOCK NUT FOR VEHICLE SPINDLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1911.

1,031,353. Patented July 2,1912

INVENTOR By I W Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WILEY H. LUQUIRE, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

LOCK-NUT FOR VEHICLE-SPINDLES.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, VVILEY H. LUQUIBE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of J eiferson and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Nutsfor Vehicle-Spindles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to lock nuts for vehicle spindles and moreespecially to attachments to the ordinary nuts on vehicle spindles tolock them upon the spindles and prevent them from coming off while thevehicle is in motion and also take up lost motion in the bearings.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will securely lock the nut in position, the principal part ofwhich will be positioned on the outside of the nut, making it impossiblefor the locking mechanism to be worn by friction, and,

Another object is to devise a locking mechanism which may be employed inconnection with the ordinary nut upon the usual form of spindle now inuse to positively lock the nut upon the spindle.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and pointedout in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure 1 is a longitudinal View of one end of a spindle upon an axle andthe nut looked upon the end of the spindle by my improved lockingmechanism, parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end View.Fig. 3 is a detail View looking at the end of the spindle, the nut beingremoved therefrom, and, Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of thenut carrying the locking means.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the axle,which may be of wood, steel or any other material, and 2 is the spindlesecured upon the end of the axle. The spindle is reduced and threaded atits outer end, as shown at 3, forming the circular shoulder 4, which isprovided with a plurality of circularly arranged horizontally extendingopenings 5, the purpose of which will later be fully stated.

The nut 6 is adapted for threaded engage- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed August 4, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Serial No. 642,280.

ment over the reduced threaded end 3 of the spindle 2 and has thesurface resting against the shoulder 4 of the spindle 2, which ishollowed out a suitable distance to form the circular flange 7, whichextends beyond the shoulder 1, when the nut is screwed home. It will beevident that the flange 7, fitting snugly against the spindle 2 adjacentthe shoulder 4, will protect the openings 5 and prevent dirt, grease,etc., from entering these openings and clogging the same. The internallythreaded portion of the nut, working upon the reduced threaded end 3 ofthe spindle, terminates a short distance inwardly of the outer end ofthe nut, which outer end is provided with an internally threaded bore 8communicating with the larger internally threaded bore 9 working uponthe reduced end 3 of the spindle. Through the small internally threadedbore 8 is engaged the set screw or bolt 10, the fiat end of whichengages against the extremity of the spindle to tighten and lock the nutupon the spindle and hold the same against rotation.

From the circular flange 7 to the outer end of the nut, the same ispreferably square for engagement by a wrench to rotate the nut.Projecting from one of the sides of the square portion of the nut 6, isthe pin 11, over which is engaged the lever arm 12, said arm 12 havingan enlarged portion 13 with a circular opening to receive the pin 11.One end of the lever arm 12 is pivoted, as shown at 14:, to one end ofthe locking rod 15 which works through an opening 16 in the circularportion of the nut for engagement in the horizontally extending openings5 in the circular shoulder 4 of the spindle 2. The lever arm 12 isresiliently pressed against the side of the nut from which the pin 15projects by means of a coil spring 17 around the pin 11. The lever arm12 is held in any desired position by means of a lug or projection 18near its free end, which is held in engagement with ratchet tee h 19upon the adjacent edge of the nut under the tension of the spring 17. Itwill be understood that the ratchet teeth 19 may be integral with thenut or secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by Welding.

It will be evident that by lifting the free end of the lever 12 todisengage the lug 18 from the ratchet teeth 19 and swinging the sameupon the pin 11 to force the free end of the lever toward the oppositeend of the axle, the free end of the locking pin 15 Will be drawn out ofthe opening 5 Within which it has been resting and after the looseningof the set screw or bolt 10, the nut may be rotated in either direction.When the nut is in the proper position the lever 12 is raised and movedin the opposite direction to force the free end of the locking rod 15into the proper opening 5 and the screw or bolt 10 is tightened, thuspreventing all possibility of the loosening of the nut and working offof the same from the spindle end 3.

It Will be evident that this locking mechanism may be employed With theusual form of spindle and may be readily applied to the nuts noW in useat an extremely small cost.

It will also be evident that the nut Will be positively locked upon theend of the spindle and Will be prevented from Working ofif of thespindle or becoming loose and causing annoyance and probably seriousdamage.

What I claim is:

The combination with a spindle having a reduced threaded end forming acircular shoulder around said threaded end at the connection thereofWith the remainder of the spindle, said circular shoulder havingopenings therein, of a nut upon the threaded end of the spindle, saidnut having a square portion and a round portion, locking means carriedupon the square portion and Working through the round portion forengagement in the openings of the circular shoulder of the spindle, alever centrally pivoted to the nut and having one end pivoted to thelocking means, means on the nut for engagement With the free end of thelever to lock the latter and means for resiliently pressing the leveragainst the square portion of the nut to hold the lever in engagementWith its locking means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

hi WILEY H. LUQUIRE.

mark Witnesses:

A. C. EDWARDS,

LILLIAN MADDOX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

